Electroplating apparatus having hydraulic heavy roll supporting rack



May 4, 1965 T. E. NALBAND ETAL 3,182,009

ELEQTROPLATING APPARATUS HAVING HYDRAULIC HEAVY ROLL SUPPORTING RACK v 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 14, 1965 5 INVENTORS 8, NHL BHND k ENE R. NHLaH/w THOR/m BY EUG FITTORNEY May 4, 1965 Filed Jan. 14, I965 E. NALBAND ETAL ELECTROPLATIN G APPARATUS HAVING HYDRAULIC HEAVY ROLL SUPPORTING RACK 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 VENTORS 774oMHsA NHL BHND.

BY EUGENE R. NHLBHND HTTORNE' May 4, 1965 HEAVY ROLL SUPPORTING RACK Filed Jan. 14, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 5 INVENTOR5 THOMHSA/VHLBHND BY Eue ENE R. NHLBHND H T TORNEY May 4, 1965 T. E. NALBAND ETAL APPARATUS HAVING HYDRAUL IC 3,182,009 ELEC'I'BOPLATING HEAVY ROLL SUPPORTING RACK 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 14, 1963 5, INVENTORS THOMHSA/VHLBFIND BY EUGENE R. NHLBHND HTTORNEY United States Patent 3,182,009 ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS HAVING HY- DRAULIC HEAVY ROLL SUPPORTING RACK Thomas E. Nalhand and Eugene R. Nalband, both of 23 Rutledge St., Cheshire, Conn.

Filed Jan. 14, 1963, Ser. No. 251,430 4 Claims. (Cl. 204-212) This invention relates to electroplating apparatus, and more particularly to a hydraulically raised and lowered horizontal rack for supporting a heavy rotating roll being plated in a tank of electrolyte.

One object of the present invention is to provide an electroplating apparatus of the above nature in which the roll supporting rack comprises a pair of horizontal sections connected at their outer ends to four vertical hydraulic cylinders containing liquid under pressure.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the above nature, in which each cylinder surrounds a fixed vertical plunger ram having a rounded base for providing a selfaligning engagement with an underlying surface on which it is supported.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efiicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawings one form in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 represents a top plan view of the improved hydraulic rack and electroplating apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same, taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the same, taken from the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view, on a larger scale, taken through one of the hydraulic cylinders and its fixed ram, showing how said cylinder and ram are connected to the horizontal roll supporting rack and the bottom pedestal respectively.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the upper part of the hydraulic cylinder and the fixed ram tube shown in FIG. 4, in which the cylinder has been elevated to a partly raised position.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral indicates four hollow pedestals provided with rectangular base flanges 11, each of which flanges is secured by means of bolts 12 and nuts 12:: (FIGS. 2, 3, 4) to the top flanges 130 of a pair of horizontal I-beams 13, the bases 13a of which are secured by means of anchor bolts 13b to a concrete base 15. Provision is also made of pedestal clamping spacers 14 located between the top flanges 13c of the I-beam 13 and the nuts 12a.

The bottom of each pedestal 16 is adapted to receive a fixed solid cylindrical plunger ram 16 having a conical bottom 17 (FIG. 4) provided with a rounded central tip 17a, which rests upon the top flange 13c of the I- beam 13, so as to form a self-aligning stable mounting on said I-beam, irrespective of the weight of the heavy roll R, being plated in the apparatus.

Each plunger ram 16 is secured to its pedestal 10 by a cross pin 18, as clearly shown in FIG. 4 of the drawing, and said plunger ram 16 is also rigidly secured, as by welding, to an upper vertical tube 19, held in spaced reice lation with a vertical hollow hydraulic cylinder 20 by three circular gaskets 21, 22, 23 (FIG. 4).

The top of the fixed tube 19 is closed by means of a ring plate 24 having a central aperture 25, through which the hydraulic liquid under pressure is adapted to freely pass.

The bottom of each cylinder 20 is provided with an angular ring 19a secured thereto as by set screws. The angular ring 19a is tapped and screwed upon the threaded lower end of the cylinder 20.

The top of the hollow cylinder Zil is provided with a plug 26 having at one side a removable bleeder screw 27 to release air from the hydraulic cylinder 20 whenever necessary.

The top of the plunger ram 16 is also provided near one side with a vertical passage 28 connected with a side horizontal passage 29 (FIG. 4), which is tapped at its outer end for receiving a threaded end 31 of a flexible metal hose connected to a suitable controlled source of hydraulic liquid under pressure.

The numeral 32 indicates four short horizontal outer roll supporting H-beams which are rigidly secured upon the four vertical hydraulic cylinders 20, as shown in FIG. 4.

The short H-beams 32 are supported at their outer ends by four horizontal square bottom plates 34 which embrace said cylinders 20 and are connected to said H-beams 32 by bolts 35 and nuts 36 (FIG. 4). The short outer H-beams 32 are adapted to embrace four central inner horizontal H-beams 37 and are secured thereto, as by welding at 33. The H-beams 37 have reinforcing vertical webs 38 provided with inclined top edges 3?.

The roll supporting rack is also provided with a pair of depending central vertical roll troughs 40 having V- shaped bottoms comprising a pair of copper-lined inclined lower ends 41, 42. A pair of angular steel strips 43, 44 are bolted to said trough 4t) and are provided with copper strips 42a, 42b, for conducting electric current to the reduced end shafts S and S of the heavy roll R which is to be electroplated in the apparatus. The shaft S is provided with a sprocket gear G which is adapted to be continuously rotated by a motor-driven chain, not shown. The inner H-beams 37 are secured by triangular webs 45, 46 and bolts 47 to the troughs 40.

In order to prevent collapsing or inward movement of the sides of the trough 40 due to the heavy weight of the roll R supported thereby, provision is also made of a pair of horizontal screw jacks 48 provided with bases 49, 50, having flanges 51, 52 which are seated within cups engaging the sides of said roll trough 40 above the shafts S and S Operation In the operation of this apparatus, hydraulic liquid will be pumped simultaneously through the four tubular rams 16 into the hydraulic cylinders 20 by manually pressing control buttons, not shown, thus raising the heavy roll R to the desired height. The roll R which is supported by the vertical trough 40 will be rotated during the plating by means of the sprocket gear G on the shaft S operated by the motor driven chain, not shown.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not limited to this specific disclosure, but may be modified and embodied in various other equivalent forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to obtain Letters Patent is:

1. An electroplating apparatus comprising a tank and hoist means for raising and lowering rolls to be plated from and to said tank, said hoist means being mounted on a support disposed adjacent said tank and comprising a pair of horizontally extending racks each comprising first and second similar horizontal members spaced at their inner end portions to provide a central opening in said rack, horizontally spaced members secured to said horizontal members and depending vertically downwardly respectively from said inner end portions thereof, means connecting said vertical members at the lower ends thereof, said connecting means providing bearing surfaces for rotatively supporting said rolls to be plated, said connecting means including conductors forintroducing electrical current to said rolls, means for rotating said rolls to be plated, and four similar vertical hydraulic cylinders, each cylinder being secured to an outer end portion of a horizontal member so as to provide for raising and lowering of said racks, said central openings permitting positioning of said roll onto said bearing surfaces.

2. The combination in electroplating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein there is provided a spreader means for the vertical members of each rack, each spreader means being adapted to engage and maintain its corresponding vertical members in horizontally spaced re lationship and being removable for free vertical passage of the end shaft of a roll between said members.

3. The combination in electroplating apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said connecting means each comprises a generally V-shaped member connected at free end portions with lower end portions of corresponding vertical members and provided on its upper surface with a V-shaped copper bearing and conductor for electrical current,

4. The combination in electroplating apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein each of said cylinders is connected with its corresponding rack member with a cylinder ram movable downwardly from the cylinder, wherein a supporting pedestal is provided for each ram with a. concave surface for receiving the end of the ram, wherein each ram has a generally convex end surface, and Wherein each ram is pinned to its pedestal so as to pivot with respect to the pedestal forward and away from a roll held by the apparatus and yet be restrained against pivotal movement in a plane parallel to the axis of such a roll.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,870,743 8/32 Piersol 204--226 2,235,246 3/41 Anthony 187-859 2,465,677 3/49 Deverall 269-20 X 2,603,369 7/52 Soderstrom 2l4396 3,038,852 6/62 Meuter 204 -212 X JOHN H. MACK, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS COMPRISING A TANK AND HOIST MEANS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING ROLLS TO BE PLATED FROM AND TO SAID TANK, SAID HOIST MEANS BEING MOUNTED ON A SUPPORT DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID TNAK AND COMPRISING A PAIR OF HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING RACKS EACH COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND SIMILAR HORIZONTAL MEMBERS SPACED AT THEIR INNER END PORTIONS TO PROVIDE A CENTRAL OPENING IN SAID RACK, HORIZONTALLY SPACED MEMBERS SECURED TO SAID HORIZONTAL MEMBERS AND DEPENDING VERTICALLY DOWNWARDLY RESPECTIVELY FROM SAID INNER END PORTIONS THEREOF, MEANS CONNECTING SAID VERTICAL MEMBERS AT THE LOWER ENDS THEREOF, SAID CONNECTING MEANS PROVIDING BEARING SURFACES FOR ROTATIVELY SUPPORTING SAID ROLLS TO BE LATED, SAID CONNECTING MEANS INCLUDING CONDUCTORS FOR INTRODUCING ELECTRICAL CURRENT TO SAID ROLLS, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ROLLS TO BE PLATED, AND FOUR SIIMILAR VERTICAL HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS, EACH CYLINDER BEING SECURED TO AN OUTER END PORTION OF A HORIZONTAL MEMBER SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR RAISING AND LOWERING SAID RACKS, SAID CENTRAL OPENINGS PERMITTING POSITIONING OF SAID ROLL ONTO SAID BEARING SURFACES. 